Overpowered Reincarnation Perks! - Chapter 11.3
When people are intoxicated with a sense of victory and let their guard down, thinking they’ve achieved everything before they’ve even properly started, that’s when they’re most vulnerable.
I suspect that tonight, even the security might be lax as they’re probably having some celebration party.
“Don’t worry. Besides Hoson, Mr. Welga was also observing the situation on-site. I heard about it.”
“Oh, really?”
So much for running around until my feet were on fire to scout things out. I felt a bit deflated, but I didn’t give up and said:
“Arvan. I think it would be best to execute the plan tonight. There are fewer monster hunters in the city, and everyone’s guard is down.”
“No, we’ll execute tomorrow. We need time to prepare too.”
“Prepare… I see. I guess it would be tight to move it up by even one day, considering everyone needs to get ready.”
I felt a bit disappointed. Tonight seemed like the perfect opportunity.
‘There will be more people tomorrow… Even if the soldiers are still intoxicated with excitement tonight, they’ll start to sober up by tomorrow.’
But I understand why Arvan wants to approach this cautiously. He wants to proceed as safely as possible since his comrades’ lives are at stake.
“Alright. So the clinic is closed until tomorrow too, right?”
“Yes. Today and tomorrow are holidays, so you should rest too, Ju-in.”
“The sun hasn’t even set yet, it’s too early to rest.”
Rejecting Arvan’s suggestion to go to bed early, I went outside. I thought it was still bright, but the edge of the sky was already turning slightly red.
‘Was I held up by Senes for too long?’
If the clinic is closed tomorrow as well, I should move the medicinal herbs I received from the house next door to the storage room. After organizing the warehouse, I saw a bright red sunset. Unpleasantly blood-colored.
‘Oh. Callion is out too.’
Callion was standing still in the backyard, looking at something.
‘I guess the carpenter uncle must have passed him a note with instructions.’
Due to the open fence of the neighboring house, there was nothing blocking my view of his back.
Callion’s slumped shoulders, covered by a white hood, somehow caught my attention.
He didn’t look well last night either, and it doesn’t seem like he’s recovered much today. I’m worried.
‘Callion resents me, so I can’t act familiar, but…’
Still, I wanted to meet Callion.
‘It should be okay to just greet him as if I don’t know him, like we’re just colleagues on the same mission, right?’
Longing overpowered guilt. I approached him with a straight face.
“Um…”
Thwack!
The edge of the hood covering his face fluttered slightly, and then a large sword was thrust into the ground. The sharp blade, emitting a cold light, stood between Callion and me.
“Please don’t come any closer.”
“……”
I touched my face to check my magic stone glasses. I’m wearing them properly. Surely their effect hasn’t worn off already.
Fortunately, Callion didn’t seem to recognize me. Is he being cautious because a stranger approached?
“I, I just wanted to say hello.”
“I’m uncomfortable around young women. I might be rude, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t bother with me.”
“……”
Although he was wearing his hood low, due to Callion’s tall stature, it wasn’t difficult to observe his face.
Callion was biting his lip with a deeply furrowed brow.
An expression of enduring pain.
Even though he couldn’t recognize my face, just having a woman of similar build and age nearby seems to have triggered memories of that nightmare.
For the polite and courteous Callion to suddenly thrust his sword into the ground as a threat, how cornered must he feel?
“…I’m sorry.”
Afraid that saying anything more might cause him to crumble, I apologized in a small voice.
Callion pressed the side of his hood with his hand and turned his head.
“I’ll go in first.”
Callion pulled his sword out of the ground, sheathed it, and swiftly turned to enter through the back door. I stood frozen, unable to move even after his figure had disappeared.
The color of the sunset gradually deepened, and a dark shadow fell over me as well.
The ground where he had thrust his sword was dented. It looked just like the place where his sword had pierced my heart and passed through. My body feels heavy. It’s as if heavyweights have been attached to my feet.
‘Why did I end up coming to this world?’
If the world of resurrection was random, it might have been better to go to a different world altogether.
‘No, if only the first person I met wasn’t Callion, he wouldn’t have been hurt like this.’
Most of my skills are for supporting party members, but neither Callion nor Senes are in a position to need support. I was essentially a useless burden to them from the start.
‘I really am useless.’
I complained that my skills had many limitations and were tricky to use, but I guess I got skills that perfectly match someone like me.
I suddenly felt the reality of being a stranger here.
Both on Earth and here, I was still an insignificant existence. Now, with the added ‘lonely’ modifier, it feels like I truly don’t belong anywhere.
‘It wasn’t my place from the beginning. I should give up.’
With the darkening sky behind me, I entered the house. Facing the warm indoor air, I felt somehow deflated.
“Ju-in, what have you been doing outside?”
“Arvan.”
“You must have been out for a while. Your face is red.”
Arvan approached and lightly touched my cheek. It felt burning hot, making me flinch and turn my head. When I rubbed my cheek with the back of my hand, I could definitely feel the cold. My body must have gotten a bit chilled.
“Would you like some warm tea? To help you sleep easily.”
“What are you eating, Arvan?”
Arvan, who had taken off his glasses, was chewing on some kind of leaf.
His face was already fairy-like beautiful, but with that long leaf in his mouth, he really looked like a fairy.
“This? It’s a stimulant to stay awake.”
“If you had something like that, you should have given it to me too. You always just make me black tea.”
“It’s too strong for you to eat. My master said to avoid it if possible.”
“Then why are you eating it?”
“I’m a doctor, so this much is fine for me.”
It’s not a very trustworthy answer, but I don’t feel like arguing about it. I just shrugged my shoulders.
‘Why does Arvan like me?’
If they needed an intruder, it didn’t necessarily have to be me.
They would have discovered the existence of the ore that attracts monsters if they had infiltrated and explored the central palace, so I just saved them some time, nothing more.
Even the operation plan I came up with would have been useless if Arvan hadn’t been there to refine it appropriately.
In the end, I’m still a useless person on my own. I’m just a parasite who can barely support others, at best.
Why does he treat me as someone special?
“Arvan. Do you still not trust me?”
“Huh?”
“But you do like me, right?”
The system window said that Arvan had feelings for me.
I’m not sure to what extent a ‘faint affection’ means. But when such a message appeared for Callion, he didn’t reject my seduction.
Perhaps Arvan too.
“Ju-in. Why are you suddenly like this?”
“Are you very busy tonight?”
“Of course, I can make time for you.”
He skillfully avoided answering the question, but it was nice to hear something pleasant. It’s just like a man who shows affection for me but doesn’t trust me.
Arvan was a good person, but he didn’t blindly trust others. As much as he knew his own limits, he quickly grasped the essence of others.
Arvan knows that I’m a terrible person. That’s why he doesn’t trust me.
If you don’t trust, you won’t be betrayed.
Then Arvan won’t be hurt because of me.
“Do you want to sleep with me?”
“……!”
Arvan opened his mouth as if surprised. The corners of his eyes gradually turned red.
I thought he might be bewildered by the sudden proposal without any build-up of mood, but judging by his reaction, it doesn’t seem like he’s entirely against the idea.
The ‘affection’ in the system was indeed not just human affection, but included physical attraction.
“I, I want to do it with you.”
“Wait, Ju-in.”
I was trying to drive the point home, but I saw Arvan’s brow furrow.
His expression, which had momentarily shown excitement, turned serious. His parted lips closed tightly, and his violet eyes rolled to the side.
The hesitation didn’t last long. He soon faced me and carefully asked.
“Did something upsetting happen?”
“……”
“You seem to be having a hard time right now. Won’t you tell me what’s wrong?”
It was a completely unexpected response.
